Method of making prewelt shoes



Oct. 5, 1943. J. H. GAQUIN METHOD OF MAKING PREWELT SHOES Filed Jan. 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,...,............man::%

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Oct. .5, 1943. J. H. GA UIN 2,330,823

METHOD OF MAKING PREWELT SHOES Filed Jan. 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v //v [INT-0%? I welt shoes,s-called,

gin of the upper will be held in placeon and the shoe will retain its shape.

" tom without securing the welte filler, and while the upper is'heldin lasted posioutsole to the welt is relied upo in shape and consequently it is worn out 'Jsince the repair .of

involve a second lasting. opera -make the .cost of repair-prohibitive. attempts have been .made "to provide .prewelt shoe out a secondlasting oper creased cost of producti nevertheless, would .cost lit manufacture than .preweltishoes of the types-now commonlyproduced commercially.

providing a membe the sole membensh means operating within curing said connecting memb position while the upper is by meansof a heat cement which is rendered a finished shoe, or it may Patented Oct. 5, 1943 UNIT-"EDI 1 PATENT OFFICE v ,,z,s3o,s2s METHOD-0F MAKING PREWELT SHOES ohn t n, J a cm:

.H. .Gaquin, .Haverhill, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation,

poration of New Jersey Fleming- Application January 19, 1942, ;Ser,ial;N 0. 427,254

Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of of making repairable prethat is, prewelt shoes which are so constructed that when :a worn tread sole is -removed from the shoe bottom, the welted marthe insole .plication to methods tion by the Wipers of the lasting machine to cement attach an outsole to the welt, the cement .bondholding the shoe togethertemporarily -the outsole .is

until permanently stitched to the welt. which secures the n to hold the shoe the .usual practice the tread sole is such shoes would tion which would tNumerous In shoes of "this type the seam to discard prewelt shoes after the presentinvention in one aspect thereof. consists inamethod of making prewelt shoes which comprises pro- ,vidlng a prewelt upper, :providin e member,

'With the above .objectkin VlW,-

g asol r for connecting the welt =to aping the upper over a last, e upper thus shaped on the last by the weltcrease, and seer in connecting so held on the last ,-responsive cement, that is,*a dhesiv eby heat. The

sole member above referred to may be a filler holding th constructed and arranged to occupy :the space arginof theupper in the be an insole in :prewelt shoes which do not require a filler A prewelt shoe of this type is disclosed in 'United Stateg .Letters Patent No. 1 1925 on anapplication of Warren-B. White. In accordance with -the method hereinafter .described, the welted margin of the upper is attached to a sole member, illustratediinthedrawings as a filler of enclosed by the welted m accordance with ,522,564, granted.flanuary .13, 5

the type above described, .by :60

means of :a strip or tape coated with a suitable heat-responsive cement. This tape serves to hold the welted margin of the upper in juxtaposed relation to .the edge face of the .filler when a worn .outsole is removed in the process of repairing the shoe. "The tape is preferably initially attached to one of the parts to be connected to,- gether, the tape illustrated in the drawings being secured to the sole-attaching faceof the welt by the seam connecting the welt to the upper. It will, of .course, be understood that the tape may be initially attached to the filler rather than to the welt, if desired. Preferably, the tape is coated with adhesive and permitted to dry before it is initially secured to one of the members to be connected together and therefore the cement on the tape 'will not interfere in any way with the uppershaping operations. Any one, of a considerable number of commercial heat-responsive cements .gomay be provided for coating the tape, the selection of cement depending mainly upon the method which is to be employed in activating the cement.

While it is within the scope of my invention to activate the cement on the tape .in any known s manner, I'have described hereinafter three novel methods of making prewelt shoes of the type above described involving specific methods of activating thecement which methods I believe to be particularly suited to prewelt shoe making. In accordance with the first method, the welted margin of the upper is lasted to the edge face -of the filler and while the upper is held in lasted position, the cement on the tape is activatedby the application of a heated element thereto. In the second method hereinafter described, a prewelt upper provided with the pro- ;posed filler-attaching tape is mounted on a last,

then subjected to ,the influence of heated air ,to

activate the cement on said tape. The upper is 40 then'lasted inthe usual manner and securedin lastedposition by bringing said tape into adheri g contact with the margin of the filler. In accordance with the third method, hereinafter described, an upper provided with the proposed filler-attaching tape is lasted to theedge face of afiller, and while the upper is held in lasted position, the cement on said tape is rendered adhesive .by radiant heat, whereupon the tape is brought into adhering contact with the margin ofthe filler.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating-by way of example, the three specific methods 5 above referred to.

.In'the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a cross section of a prewelt upper supported in :lasted position by the. Wipers of a bed lasting machine, and a portion of a heated tool operating on the shoe bottom;

fresponsive cement on the 'moist air delivered to a cabinet within which the 1,784,008, granted December 9,

' adhesive and rolled so Fig. 4 shows the upper of Fig. 3 in a cabinet in which the cement on the tape is activated;

Fig. 5 is a cross section showing the upper' supported by the wipers of a bed lastingmachine and a portion of a hammer for applying the tape to the filler; and

Fig. 6 is a cross section, similar to Fig. 5, showing a portion of a light bulb and reflector in cross section for activating the cement on the tape by radiant heat.

The drawings illustrate three methods of activating heat-responsive cement on a tape which connects the welted margin of a prewelt upper to a filler. In the method illustrated in Fig. l,

heat-responsive cement is activated by direct con tact of a heated tool with the tape.

In accord- Fig. 4, heattape is activated by hot,

ance with the method illustrated in upper is placed. In accordance with the third method, illustrated in Fig. 6, heat-responsiv cement on the tape is activated by radiant heat from a light bulb while the upper is held in lasted position by the wipers of a prewelt lasting ma chine, such, for example, as that illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 2,945,595, granted June 30, 1936, on an application filed in the names of Alfred E. C. Hall et al.

In the preparation of shoe uppers for the manufacture of prewelt shoes, in accordance with any one of the three methods briefly referred to above, an upper l0 and a welt l2 are secured together as usual by a chainstitch seam M. For securing the welted margin of the upper to a filler, such, for example, as the filler l6 illustrated in the drawings, there is provided a tape l-8 the filler-facing surface of which is. coated with a heat-responsive cement while the outsolefacing surface thereof is not treated with adhe sive. The tape I8 is preferably of fabric material strong enoughto resist the widthwise stress against the upper in the wear of the shoe. The tapeis preferably secured to the upper Ill together with the welt I 2 by the seam H, but, if desired, it may be secured to the welt before the welt is attached to the upper. The shoe is preferably also provided with athin insole 29 which may have been initially secured to the filler I6 or may be an integral portion thereof.

In practicing the method illustrated in Fig. 1, the tape I8 is preferably treated with an adhesive composition such, for example, as a polymerized vinyl ester, various examples of which are disclosed in United States Letters Patent No.

1930, on an application filed in the name of Willy O. Herrmann et al. Preferably the tape, as it is provided for attachment to the upper, has been coated with that it may be mounted on a suitable reel on the sewing machine which stitches the tape and the welt to the upper. The upper with the welt and the tape stitched to its bottom margin is mounted on a last 22 and the toe portion of the upper is pulled over and secured to the last in any known manner. The upper is then lasted in a bed lasting machine, such as that illustrated in the Hall et al. patent above referred to, said machine having lasting wipers 24 which enter the Welt crease and, after lasting the upper, hold the upper in lasted posipractice of the method therein described.

illustrated in Fig. 1, iseifected by a hand tool 26 having a work-engaging roll 28 which is heated to a temperature sufiicient to activate the heatresponsive cement on said tape. N o cement need be applied to the margin of the filler provided the substance of the filler is not of a highly porous nature since the adhesive on the tape upon activation thereof will become bonded to the margin of the filler. After the tape has been cement-attached to the filler, an outsole, for example the outsole 30 illustrated in Fig. 2, is secured to the welt in any known manner, preferably by a'lockstitch seam 32.

In accordance with the method illustrated in Figs; 3 and 4, hot vapor-laden air is employed to activate adhesive on the tape H8 in accordance with the method set forth in an application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 424,877, filed December 30, 1941, in the name of M. W. Tetlow. This application teaches the use of polymerized chloroprene as an adhesive in the In accordance with this teaching, the tape I 8, illustrated in Fig. 3, is coated with an adhesive containing polymerized chloroprene and the margin of the filler is similarly treated since this type of cement-will not provide a satisfactory bond unless both of the surfaces to be secured together are coated therewith. In order to subject the cement-treated surfaces to hot vaporladen air, I prefer to employ an apparatus similar in principle to that illustrated in an application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 375,951, filed January 25, 1941, in the name of A. J. Wells. Thisapparatus subjects the welted margin of the upper to the action of a vaporladen air substantially free from water in liquid form at temperatures not inimical to leather, for example, from 68 to 78 C. As herein illustrated, the apparatus for producing hot vaporladen air comprises a cabinet 36 having in its lower portion a reservoir for a body of hot water 38. Immersed in the water are perforated pipes 49 through which air is forced into said water. Said air rising through the body of water 38 is heated and becomes moisture-laden. Said air, after it rises from the water passes through perforated plates 42 and 44 which remove from the air all water in a liquid or visible state then contained therein. The upper on its last is supported in upright position above the plate 44 on parallel horizontal rods 46 secured in the side walls of the cabinet. The upper is introber-faced hammer 50 (Fig. 5). An outsole is to the welt by means of a lockabove referred to without upon an application of Andrew Thoma, the main constituent of said adhesive being gutta percha.

This adhesive has a melting point considerably lower than the melting point of the adhesive employed in the first method hereinbefore described and may be quickly activated by radiant heat.

For producing such radiant heat, I prefer to employ an electric light bulb 52. Electric light bulbs which transmit only infra-red light rays are par ticularly suitable because they produce ample heat for quickly activating cement of the type subjecting the welted margin of the upper to temperatures injurious to leather. For directing said rays toward the welted margin of the upper, said bulb is positioned within a suitable reflector 54. After the cement has been activated, the light bulb and reflector are moved into a remote position and the tape is then applied to the filler, for example,

in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5. When gutta percha adhesive of the type above referred to is employed, a satisfactory bond may be obtained from a single coating of said adhesive. This coating will preferably be on the tape l8 but it will be understood that the margin of the filler rather than the tape may be coated, if desired.

It is to be understood that the specific types of cement heretofore mentioned are referred to as examples of heat-responsive adhesive suitable for use in practicing the methods above described. It will be obvious that many other types of heatresponsive cement may be successfully employed and therefore I do not limit myself to the use of the three types above mentioned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That method of making prewelt shoes which comprises providing a prewelt upper, providing a sole member, providing a member for connecting the welt to the sole member, shaping the upper over a last, holding the upper thus shaped on the last by means operating within the welt crease, and securing said connecting member in connecting position while the upper is so held on the last by means of cement rendered adhesive by the application of heat thereto.

2. That method of making shoes which comprises providing a prewelted upper, a sole member and a member for connecting thewelt to the sole member, shaping the upper over a last, holding the upper thus shaped on the last by means operating within the welt crease, and securing said connecting member in connecting position by means of cement rendered adhesive by the application of heat thereto after shaping the upper over the last.

3. That method of making shoes which comprises providing a prewelted upper, a sole memher and a member for connecting the welt to the sole member, said connecting member having a coating of heat-responsive cement, shaping the upper over a last, holding the upper thus shaped on the last by means operating within the welt,

crease, while the upper is so held applying heat to said connecting member to render the cement thereon adhesive, and bringing said member into adhering contact with the shoe bottom.

4. That method of making prewelt shoes which comprises providing a prewelt upper, providing a sole constructed and arranged to fill the space face of the welt in the enclosed by the inner edge bringing the inner edge face of the welt into juxtaposition to the edge face of said sole by means operating within the welt crease, while holding the welt in such juxtaposed position by said means applying heat to said strip to render it adhesive, and securing the welt and sole in juxtaposed position by means of said strip.

5. That method of making prewelt shoes which comprises securing to the bottom margin of a shoe upper a sole-attaching welt and a tape treated with a heat-responsive cement, bringing the welted margin of the upper into its final position in theshoe bottom, applying said tape to a sole and rendering the cement on said tape adhesive by the application of a heated element thereto.

6. That method of making prewelt shoes which comprises securing to the welted margin of a shoe upper a sole-attaching welt and a strip coated with a heat-responsive cement, providing a sole constructed and arranged to fill the space enclosed by the inner edge face of the welt in the the inner edge face of the welt into juxtaposition to the edge face of said sole, and applying said tape to the margin of said sole by means of a roll heated to a temperature such that the cement on said strip is rendered adhesive.

hesive, then bringing the welted margin of the upper into its final position in the shoe bottom and securing the welted margin in that position by bringing said member into adhering contact with a sole.

8. That method of making prewelt shoes which comprises securing to the bottom margin of a shoe upper a sole-attaching welt and a tape treated with a heat-responsive cement, bringing the welted margin of the upper into its final position in the shoe bottom and, while the upper is held in that position, activating the cement on said tape by radiant heat and then bringing said tape into adhering contact with a sole.

9. That method of making prewelt shoes which comprises securing to the lasting margin of a shoe upper a sole-attaching welt and a tape treated with a heat-responsive cement, lasting the welted margin of the upper to the edge face of a filler on the last bottom, while the upper is held in lasted position, activating the cement on said tape by radiant heat, and then bringing said tape into adhering contact with the margin of the filler.

10. That method of making prewelt shoes which comprises securing to the lasting margin of a shoe upper a sole-attaching welt and a tape treated with a heat-responsive cement, mounting on a last bottom a sole constructed and arranged to fill the space enclosed by the inner edge face 

